Towheeblog

Our trip continues, temps in upper Sacramento Valley were in 80s.
The drought effects were clear. Shasta Lake has thirty feet of bare eath between current water level and what used to be upper water line. The waterfalls at Hedge Creek, Dunsmuir, is flowing wth less water than you could get from your garden hose.
We passed through several wildfire desolation areas–Yreka, south of Dunsmuir, the mountains east of Napa Valley, the mountains east of Santa Rosa. In some areas homes are or have been replaced, just like those who rebuild after the most recent hurricane. Climate change must be happening only in other places?

Butte Valley Birding: F
Hedge Falls: D-, not enough water for Dippers.
Red Bluff Rest Area along I-5: A. Acorn Woodpeckers, Lark and Savannah Sparrows, WB Nuthatch, 3 Western Bluebirds, plus other locals.
Sacramento NWR Auto Tour Route: C-, very depressing. Scads of geese on limited wetland space. Much of the marshland is now powder dry. Waterfowl, thus, are more concentrated. There were stilts, yellowlegs, one pair of Blue-winged Teal. We saw many yellow-rumps and one Yellow Warbler. Many Barn Swallows.
Red-tail count for the day: 18.
One at Sacto NWR, by Ryckman–

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Albert Ryckman visions of red-tail and coot:

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Shasta Lake right now, lowest level since it filled after construction of the dam in the late 1930s.

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Hedge Creek Falls, Dunsmuir–dipperless:

Bluebird and WB Nuthatch in oaks at Red Bluff Rest Area, I-5 southbound:

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Stilt at Sacramento NWR:

Reservoir at Shasta, showing today’s reality, images by drone:

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Red Bluff Rest Stop, Tehama, California, US
Oct 3, 2021
16 species

Killdeer  1
Turkey Vulture  8
Acorn Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker  1
California Scrub-Jay  1
Oak Titmouse  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Western Bluebird  3
Lesser Goldfinch  1
American Goldfinch  5
Lark Sparrow  2
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Savannah Sparrow  6
Western Meadowlark  1
Brewer’s Blackbird  20
Yellow-rumped Warbler  4

Snow Goose  X
Ross’s Goose  X
Greater White-fronted Goose  X
Canada Goose  X
Blue-winged Teal  2
Northern Shoveler  X
Gadwall  X
American Wigeon  X
Mallard  X
Northern Pintail  X
Green-winged Teal  X
Pied-billed Grebe  X
Eurasian Collared-Dove  X
American Coot  X
Black-necked Stilt  X
Killdeer  X
Wilson’s Snipe  1
Greater Yellowlegs  X
Ring-billed Gull  X
Great Blue Heron  X
Great Egret  X
Turkey Vulture  X
Northern Harrier  1
American Kestrel  1
Black Phoebe  1
Tree Swallow  X
American Goldfinch  X
White-crowned Sparrow  X
Song Sparrow  X
Western Meadowlark  X
Red-winged Blackbird  X
Yellow Warbler  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  X